Batman V Superman Review – A Gritty Piece of Gold

Normally, I don’t bother writing reviews – but with the backlash that’s come about after the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, I felt that I should add my 2 cents. Now I’ll admit that I do try to see the best in all superhero movies, but not all are made equal. Movies like the last Fantastic Four were completely unforgivable, but Batman’s latest incarnation is finally taking this hero in the right direction.

One thing that’s bothered me about some reviews is how confused the reviewer found the movie. And yes, the story was disjointed in parts, but any Batman fan would have been able to figure out what was going on without having to be led by the hand. If you want a replica of The Avengers movie, then wait for the next Avengers movie. I absolutely love both Marvel and DC, and I’m especially happy that DC has taken the more gritty route that I’d hoped superhero movies would one day reach.

It starts…

When Man of Steel was released, comic book enthusiasts that I spoke to didn’t take to it because Superman killed people while fighting General Zod. When I watched it, I finally felt like Superman was made relevant again. Gone were the red undies and the holier-than-thou Superman of the last generation, and in his place was a more believable and fallible superman that was giving it his all.

When two behemoths go head-to-head, large scale destruction is inevitable, and to have made the movie in any other way would have been ridiculous, and simply another replica of every previous Superman movie. Instead, we got a clash of epic preportions that set the stage for the Batman V Superman movie. If I were anyone other than a Batman or comic book fan in general, I’d probably have a lot of questions about this movie. As a fan – who I believe this movie was aimed at – I thoroughly enjoyed this flick. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s nowhere near the disaster it’s been toted as.

Batman V Superman Review

The first half of the movie is paced pretty slowly. It’s a build up towards the inevitable clash between Batman and Superman, that took a tad too long for my liking. It looks like the creation of the Justice League franchise took priority over the actual Batman movie, and I feel that was the biggest
mistake that was made.

Bruce Wayne is scarred by the destruction of a Metropolis along with the death of many of his employees that worked there. Scenes from the Man of Steel movie are replayed from Bruce Wayne’s viewpoint – which was a very nice touch – and makes you feel for the character’s loss. His hatred is further fueled by Lex Luthor’s incessant meddling which eventually leads to the showdown.

The movie is a lengthy 151 minutes, which would make you think that Batman would have had more airtime, but alas too much time was spent on Lex Luthor’s cluttered plan. In general, I’ve never liked the Lex Luthor character and feel that he should not be a major villain in a universe where Superman can and does kill – as Lex would and could be taken down with a flick of Superman’s finger. With that being said, Jesse Eisenberg was fantastic as Lex and put a new spin on the psychotic genius. He gave a tired character new life in a way that only Eisenberg could.

Full-on Action

When we do see Batman geared up and kicking ass, he does not disappoint. I know that’s it’s blasphemous to talk down on Nolan’s Batman – but for some reason, Bale did not resonate with me in the way that Affleck did. This is the first movie that I actually believed that Batman could stand up against multiple thugs and come out alive.

It was probably Ben Affleck’s massive size and the fight choreography that made me a believer. It’s very similar to how I felt during the Man of Steel movie when Henry Cavill absolutely nailed what I envisioned Superman should be. Both Affleck and Cavill did justice to their characters and to comic book fans. Affleck has set a new standard for non-powered superheroes to strive for and has completely redeemed himself from the Daredevil incident in my eyes. There were also many Easter eggs and nods to comic book scenes scattered throughout the movie for hardcore fans to enjoy.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman was also a pleasant surprise. Finally a heroine that looked, spoke and fought like a badass. Her costume was also spot on without overly-sexualising the character as is done with most (if not all) female comic book characters. The fight scenes that included all 3 superheroes was
beyond epic to say the least, and has hyped me up for the next movie.

In conclusion…

In conclusion – I would have liked to have seen less Bruce Wayne and more Batman. And I would have liked more smaller fight sequences spread out over the movie, instead of the usual build up to one or two massive expensive showdowns. A few thugs getting beaten up with perfect choreography can be just as
pleasing as a large scale monster beatdown.

But for all its flaws, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was a great movie and an epic start to hopefully a long and lustrous franchise – if the critics don’t ruin it for the rest of us. Here’s to hoping that DC continues with their gritty DC universe that some of us have been waiting for for all our lives. This is just my take on the movie – go and watch it, and make up your own damn mind.

About Sherwin

I'm a blogging enthusiast and avid traveler. I especially enjoy writing on new gadgets that may be overlooked and alternate lifestyle options that aren't publishing by the media.
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